Winter successes and failures

On By qplourdeIn Sewing Projects, Uncategorized1 Comment

I had a rather unfortunate day today, trying to figure out pocket welts on the Seamwork’s Larkin Bomber jacket. This is a time sensitive project, since I’m trying to get this done before winter is over, so losing a whole day with no progress really depressed me. For the first welt, I got confused at where I was supposed to stitch because the directions and drawings were not clear to me. Then the second side, I figured out what I did wrong, but somehow, it still ended up a puckered mess. I cut out all new welts and jacket fronts (and pockets) to start all over, but all I could do was draw the markings on the fabric. Maybe it’s for the best I take a break and take my time next time.

I have had some success lately with other items I’m sewing, so maybe I can’t be too hard on myself. My favorite is this new circle skirt I made from the Veronika pattern from Meghan Nielsen. The fabric is Dutch wax print I got from this small fabric store in Lowell, Massachusetts. The color is really something and I am hoping the weather gets a little warmer so I can wear this outside before spring. I have never made a circle skirt before, mainly because I never seem to have enough fabric. This pattern was very easy to put together, but the pieces are quite large, so laying it out on the fabric took some time. I was worried about hemming such a circular piece, but it ended up being easier than I thought. I think this is mainly because the fabric is so easy to work with and pressed so nicely.

Circle skirts are pretty flattering, so I’m really excited to wear this. Some of my other winter projects have already gotten some wear.

One is this buttoned shirt from Vogue # 9227 (view A). I made view B a while back and I was excited to revisit the pattern. The fabric is a little sheer, so I do worry about the durability, but I do think it looks nice. I like the way the stripes fall and the buttons on the top are really cute.

Even though I put interfacing in the collar, it’s still a bit flimsy with this delicate fabric.

I think I prefer the collar not buttoned up. It falls a lot better.

Not much to say on this one, it sewed up pretty fast. It was interesting sewing up the hem because of the mitered corners I had to create for the front pieces. The directions were pretty clear on where to stitch to get this clean look.

Another winter wardrobe piece that I got to show off at the office was this sweater dress from a vintage Butterick pattern, #5985. Getting the zipper right was some trial and error, but it was not too much trouble. I was also shocked to find out that the jumpers from this pattern were nowhere to be found. Maybe it was made known to me, when I bought it, I can’t remember (the note on the front is mine after finding out). I’m not sure where I got this pattern, I think at a flea market so I can’t really complain. The dress I made is actually the garment underneath the jumper pictured in view B. Even though I was disappointed I couldn’t make the jumper, this pattern did work well for a regular sweater dress.

This dress is so comfortable and definitely warm enough for these cold windy days we’ve been experiencing. I probably need to get a belt for this one, to give it a little more shape. But I also like it as it is. I’m mostly impressed by how well I was able to match the fabric on the sides back and even the sleeves.

It’s good to remind myself that I am able to complete some wearable pieces. Today was so disheartening when I couldn’t get to a good place on my jacket, but I’m hoping once I can figure out the secret to these welts, it will all just fall into place. I’m thankful for the ability to try again…and for extra fabric.

Twirling into spring, with my Veronika skirt!

Grommet trouble for Nusle Joggers

On By qplourdeIn Sewing Projects, Uncategorized2 Comments

With the holidays in full swing and me being sick every other week, I have not had much time for my sewing projects. However, I was able to make some quick lounge pants with the rest of that knit I used for my Riley top. I knew I wanted some fun pants, but had no idea what pattern to use as I didn’t want to make just typical pajama pants. I found the Nusle Joggers from Itch to Stitch a great option, despite the fabric being just a thin stretch cotton. I liked the long split hem option for the look and it seemed like a fast pattern to sew up.

The Nusle Joggers come in two different hem options and some easy to assemble pockets

Everything was going really well and finishing the split hem on the bottom was a lot easier than I originally thought. But for the waistband, I realized the pattern was calling to add grommets for the drawstring to go through. Even though I could have just decided to sew buttonholes instead, I liked the idea of adding the grommets for a different look. I tried to use the metal eyelets I already had from some shorts I made. However, because the eyelets didn’t have a back, they weren’t able to grip enough of the thin fabric to securely fasten on to the hole, even with interfacing. I decided to purchase different grommets that I could put together and hammer in with a tool. It seemed to work well and I was very pleased with the metal holes for my drawstring. I put together the waistband and after a few tries, got the stitching around the waistband to a place where I liked it.

The split hem on the Nusle Joggers

When I finally acquired the drawstring, I went to use the trusty safety pin I usually use to install it into the waist. However, this pin was too big to fit through my grommet. I tried a smaller pin, but the head was still to big to fit. As I was looking for an even smaller safety pin, I remembered that I actually had a special tool that is used to thread a drawstring that had a pretty small loop at the end. It fit inside, so I started pushing the string inside. As I pulled it around, I noticed that it had somehow pulled the whole grommet off as well and I was left with a torn up hole in it’s place. The second grommet came off as well as I tried to get the string out the other side.

I couldn’t believe I had come this far with finishing the project now to have the whole thing ruined. There was no way to reinstall the grommet without taking apart the whole waistband and the fabric around those holes were so weak now, there was no way anything would be able to grip them. I knew I could probably hand sew around the edges, but I really didn’t want to do that. Plus it probably wouldn’t be too secure. I had the thought if only they made hole reinforcers for fabric like they do for 3-ring binder paper. I could iron on something that protected that hole and all the frayed material.

I couldn’t find anything that exists fitting that description, but I did find some iron-on cotton fabric that I thought I could cut out some holes to go over the fabric. I just need to figure out how to draw and cut out a decent looking circle. My attempt didn’t come out half bad…

Well at least these are just lounge pants and probably not anything I will be wearing too much out of doors. I’m guessing this grommet issue had something to do with this the fabric being so thin and not the proper material for the grommets to stick too. If I made these again in a thicker jogging pant fabric, it may work a lot better. Live and learn.

Besides this project, I have also been working slowly on my second sundress. The bodice is pretty much done and I was able to add some piping to make it more interesting. I’m trying to decide if I want to put more piping around the bottom of the midriff too – I will probably baste it on to see how it looks. I think I was able to get the straps right on this, but I probably won’t know until the whole thing is put together. Maybe one of these days I will figure out how to make adjustable spaghetti straps, but in the meantime, this will have to do.

Take Two: 2023 edition

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It’s been a slow sewing season for me as I’ve had back to back illnesses in addition to some back and hip problems I’ve had to sort out. I have managed to make a few things though, I just haven’t had the energy to show them off. I was not able to finish my button shorts that I had cut out before the weather got too cold, so I thought I would go straight to my fall and winter sewing projects. Both happen to be re-makes of other projects I made years ago and tried to improve. I’m not sure I quite got it right this time, but these garments do work better than what I originally made.

The first is the Crescent skirt by Sewaholic. I made this skirt back in 2015 and I loved it. I used to wear it all the time to work. But I made it a bit on the big side and then I ended up losing weight and wasn’t able to wear it any more. I still have it around because I was really proud of how it came out and I just don’t have the heart to throw it out. I would like to give it a good home if there was someone who would want it, I just haven’t gotten around to figuring out how to do that. This first attempt was a size 12 and when I measured I decided I would need a size 10, which is what I cut out back in the spring.

When I finally had time to sew this I realized that this size would also be too big, so I cut it down to a size 8, which seems to be right for my body at this time. The first time I made this, I used corduroy so I knew this was a great fabric for this project. This version used a sparkly navy blue corduroy which I just love.

I also used bound seams for this one as well, since it seemed to work well the first time. I still have a whole roll of that Hug Snug stuff left so maybe I need to use this more often as I love the way it presses when enclosing the seam allowances.

Pockets too!

This skirt is a pretty fast sew. Although compared to other skirts, this one does have a few more pieces to sew up, especially on the waistband, which made more seams to bind. The only part I am not a huge fan of is you are supposed to gather the front and back. I always have trouble getting these even and not bunched up too much in one place. It’s hard to sew the seams without the fabric folding in which makes it look a bit unprofessional. I think this is mainly because I used corduroy which is a tougher fabric to gather. I think this skirt might look more streamlined if it wasn’t so full with the gathers, so I may look into adjusting this if I make this again. It still looks very nice and a great addition to my work wardrobe for the fall or even winter.

The next project was the Whistler Pull-Over by Love Notions, which was a remake of a sweater I didn’t even blog about. The original was a project I finished during the early days of the pandemic, using some great sweatshirt fabric I got in Amsterdam. I was so disappointed when I had sewed it up and realized that despite not making the “tunic” version, the top was waaaaay too long. I tried to shorten it myself after the fact, but it never quite sit right and I’m sure it’s because I didn’t shorten it the way you are supposed to on the actual pattern. Plus it was hard to figure out with the way the pockets were constructed as part of the front piece.

From the tutorial…the front is constructed in an interesting way.

Also the front seam was always a big crooked which always got on my nerves when I wore this.

I knew I could do a better job if I tried again, so I decided to use up some cool sweater knit I got on clearance at a fabric store in NYC. The fabric kind of has these fun dots in them that remind me of funfetti cake so I decided to accessorize with some fun pink buttons to give it some color.

Sewing up the front on this with the pocket panel flipping up to sew to the side front pieces were kind of confusing when looking at the drawings in the pattern. I honestly couldn’t understand what they were telling me to do and it even looked like I was supposed to sew up one section separately instead of sewing the whole section together. I didn’t actually get it until I watched the tutorial video mentioned in the pattern instructions, so I would recommend watching this before starting to sew up this section.

Using my serger, this also sewed up really fast, especially if you opt for using the bottom band instead of hemming. The drawings can be a bit deceiving on this pattern, which also caused the front button piece to not be the right width, but all in all it’s a pretty well written pattern. The videos definitely help. I think this one does look a bit better than my first attempt, although it’s far from perfect.

I finished this just in time for Thanksgiving

I also had a near tragedy trying to finish off a seam with the serger where the fabric bunched up and the blade cut a big hole in the front panel. I had to move the seam to fix that hole and so it still seems a bit crooked, just in a different way the first one is crooked. Still, it will work as a comfortable winter top that I’m excited to wear as the air outside gets more of a chill.

So what’s next? Well I’m still deciding what I want to make next. I’ve been wanting to start on my bomber jacket and I was happy to hear that bombers are still in style this winter. I’ve been procrastinating in anticipation of the effort it will take, but I don’t want another season to go by again. I also have another sundress cut out that I’d like to work on and I have an idea for a circle skirt that I just washed fabric for. I also want to start making some bags – as you can see I’ve been having trouble concentrating on a project which is stopping me from actually finishing anything. Hopefully the rest of this month as I focus on healing, I can settle down and figure it all out.

Tying up loose ends

On By qplourdeIn Material Addiction, Sewing Projects, Travel, UncategorizedLeave a comment

In order to keep my momentum going this season, I go by the rule of ABC – Always Be Cutting. I need a steady stream of cut projects so I always have something to work on. This summer I was cutting new projects out when I could, even before I finished my current project. I’m wondering if it’s just to distract myself.

Even as I struggle to get projects completed, I decided to cut out some shorts out of some scrap I had, to test out another pattern for myself.

I’ve been away from my blog for awhile. The month of September was a blur. I went on a pretty long vacation to the Azores, so obviously I was not sewing. When I came back, it was pretty hard to get back into the groove of things. However, I was able to finish my 2nd tie front shirt, McCalls 8620, in a fun lobster print. I finished it just in time to take on my vacation and was able to wear it a few times out.

The view from our hotel room on Pico Island in the Azores. This ended up being the perfect shirt to wear out to dinner on those warm nights.

I think making the first one with some practice fabric really helped me get this one right. I ended up shortening the shirt as I didn’t really care for the length on the first one. However, when this shirt is tied up, it does feel a bit short on the sides, so I just need to be aware what pants I wear with it. I like the fabric a lot though, and this shirt definitely works best with a softer shirting cotton than the quilting-type cotton I used for the first one. I was also able to perfect the collar. I had to adjust the size on the facing section on the front of the shirt so that the front came out a bit to a point on the “lapels” and was able to be tucked away more cleanly on the inside.

Pretty much perfection! I Love the way the collar came out on this. Finally, maybe my collar curse is coming to an end.

The other issue I ran into was when I ordered the buttons online, only half the quantity came and they were unable to send me the right number in time. Luckily I found some black buttons in my stash – they were a little smaller than what the pattern wanted, but it was fine for this shirt. Unfortunately, I think these buttons might actually be navy blue, but they are pretty dark so it’s hard to tell. I think it worked fine, at least my eyes can’t really tell.

I’m not sure if I mentioned before, but I love this tool to get the buttonholes even on my shirts. Because I had adjusted the length on the shirt, I needed to make sure I still had enough fabric on the bottom for the tie in the front, therefore I had to adjust where the buttonholes would go. This gage ensures that no matter where I place the top or bottom button, I can figure out the rest of the buttonholes evenly without having to measure each individually. It’s definitely a tool that has exceeded its investment.

Even though September was a bust for sewing projects, I did manage to get some great fabric while I was on vacation. I actually found fabric that had specific images from the Azores, so I had to buy it. I’m thinking this would be good for a housewares type project or possibly a bag. I also got this great sportswear fabric that was very colorful and some baby wale corduroy with a print that reminded me of the decorations on the churches out there. I also got a few pieces from a store on Terceira island that seemed to be going out of business. I got some knit and stretch denim for a really good price. I love getting fabric on vacation, because whatever I make always reminds me of that trip.

My haul from my latest trip to the Azores

Now that I’m back to my regular schedule, I’m super excited to dive right into my sewing again. I didn’t get to everything I wanted for this summer, so some of these projects may need to be put aside for now. I did end up sewing up a starter sundress and I think I’ve worked out what the fit should be on my next one. The hardest part was the straps and figuring out how short to make them so they didn’t fall off my shoulder. Unfortunately as soon as I got the straps where I wanted them, the fabric must have had a flaw because it had frayed really bad from where it connected to the bodice. There is no way to fix this without taking apart the whole bodice, so I may be trying to sew it up by hand. Very disheartening that this may not end up being wearable, as I almost got the fit right. I spent way too long on it as is, because I ended up sewing the middle section on upside down and had to take the whole thing apart (I may get into that more on another post).

But with fall coming up, I’m also finally working on this corduroy skirt that I had cut out at the beginning of the year. I made this skirt before in a size 12, but it got way too big for me that it’s basically unwearable (and I’m even looking for a new home for it). I cut this out at a size 10, but on further examination of the sizing, I realized I should have cut out a size 8, so I trimmed it down a size. Let’s hope I don’t gain any weight this holiday season!

The Cure for the Summertime Blues…or When Life Gives You Lemons

On By qplourdeIn Sewing Projects, Uncategorized1 Comment

Summer in New England does seem to go by too quickly and this year is no exception. It’s been kind of a strange season weather-wise, but I’ve been able to make the most of it with a beach day here and a hike there. I got caught in a few epic rain storms as well, ones where rain coats and umbrellas don’t seem to do much. I’m not going to get to do all the things I wanted to this summer, but I was able to finish my second Riley top. I am calling this one a success since I was able to lengthen it enough so it works with midrise pants and it looks good despite using the wrong type of fabric. The ties on these are a little wonky, but when its all tied up, I don’t think it will make much of a difference.

I even was able to make bias tape for this one with the fabric, although it didn’t quite press as well as plain cotton, which made for a very frustrating project.

There has to be a better way…I think I need a better tool to make bias tape if I’m going to be doing this more often…

Despite this, it worked ok for the facings. I extended the length of the top by 1.5 inches, so it still has a slight cropped look.

So glad to finally be able to use this fabric for something! And I have more leftover, so I may use it for some lounge pants or I may also make a pair of these great knit pajama shorts that I had self drafted a pattern for.

I was able to test out the shorts pattern on some leftover knit I had from a 1970’s style dress I made. All the pajama shorts I purchase seem to have ridiculously wide legs that tend to ride up in my sleep. I wanted something a bit more comfortable and these worked great. It could be a great way to use up leftover knit as well, which will help with my overall stash-busting project.

A very fast extra project for the month. I think this could be a great way to bust some stash and also give me more comfortable pajama shorts!

Up next for the month is making this cute sleeveless tie-top using McCalls 8620 (view C).

I’m trying out the fit on some lemon-print cotton I bought in Montreal. I had a feeling this pattern would need some adjusting and so far I’ve been proven right. The collar on it just doesn’t seem to match up to how it’s supposed to fit on the shirt. I think if I make it smaller it could work better. I may also have to extend the front facing a bit too so it can reach where it needs to go. It’s odd that the facings are cut along with the main shirt front. Folding it in the way the pattern described was extremely confusing. It took a few tries and 3 times unpicking the stitches before I figured out what they were trying to do. I was able to figure it out by actually pressing the facing in place first to see how it needed to land. Anyways, this one will never be perfect, but I’m confident my next one could be great if I take my time and figure it out right. I did shorten it a bit, but so far it doesn’t seem to need too much size adjusting, which is lucky.

I also started the bodice on my summer sundress, but I quit to cut out some button-up shorts out of some scrap denim. This is another test garment as I’m not sure I can get the fit right on the first try. I have some anchor print (I think it’s Chambray?) that I’ve really wanted to do something with. I think this may be the perfect pattern for it, but I need to make sure. I’ll get to the dress eventually, but it’s a high possibility it won’t be ready for this summer. But you never know.

Summertime Tanks: The Life of Riley

On By qplourdeIn Sewing Projects, Uncategorized2 Comments

Oh this summer! The other day I went to put on my favorite bathing suit. As I was pulling the bottoms over my legs I hear “bbbrrrrrrruuuuuupt” – that all knowing sound of old elastic stretching out. The legs holes were totally useless as the back just hung off my butt like an untucked sheet. Very depressing – and they weren’t even that old! I had the idea that I could probably just replace the elastic in the legs, so I didn’t throw them out. They now sit on a pile of well intentioned projects I say I’ll get to – running belts that I haven’t sewn up yet or tee shirts that I want to repurpose into tank tops. It’s so hard when there are so many other cool things to sew. I really do want to fix these bathing suit bottoms though…

These bottoms fit so well! And lately the suits I’ve tried on don’t seem to cover much of my bottom…it would be nice to salvage these.

Right now, I’m busy with summer tank tops. I saw this Seamwork pattern in my collection, the Riley top, and I thought it looked really cute. I had also been trying to figure out what to do with this fun cotton fabric I bought. I thought this might be the perfect top for it, but wanted to figure out the fit and the length first. I knew it was a cropped style and it seems like when Seamwork says its cropped, its REALLY cropped.

I thought there was a possibility I’d want to lengthen it just a tad. I didn’t want it too long either, which is usually my complaint of other patterns. I found this Paris-themed cotton in my stash. It was one of those times I just bought something because I thought it looked cool even though I had no idea what I would sew up with it. It’s just plain cotton, a little on the thick side so probably not ideal for this project, which I think prefers a lighter weight fabric. I decided to go for it and it mainly works. It’s a little bulky in places and the ties and bottom casing a little stiff, but the print is really cute for this. For a test garment, it’s extremely wearable. I tried to really take my time on the hem and the facing, so it didn’t look too sloppy. I think the result is great.

The Seamwork Riley top, in some nice cotton
A very rainy day in Cambridge, MA. But it’s still muggy enough to wear a summer top.

Now to try it with the real fabric. This is lighter weight so I think it will sew up nicely. However, I had thought it had just a slight stretch to it, but when I started cutting into it, I realized it’s pretty much a two-way stretch jersey. I’m still going to try it – the pattern doesn’t use too much fabric, so I will still have some fabric left for another top if this doesn’t work out the way I want it to. After seeing where the Paris tank landed, I decided to extend the pattern by 1.5 inches. That way I could wear it to work if I wanted or at least not feel self conscious wearing it when I’m not at my fittest.

This fabric is so cute!

I made too much bias tape for the first tank, but I’m hoping what I cut out will make enough for this one. I’ve been dreading it and putting it off because there was just so much ironing with the last one, and I struggled with my bias tape tool for some reason – the fabric just kept moving and shifting to one side. I may need another tool that’s easier to use.

With all these tops, I think I may need to switch it up. I’m really wanting to make some shorts before the weather gets cooler, but it’s hard adding stuff to my growing list of potential projects. I think I need to at least attempt the dress I cut out first. We’ll see if I get distracted…again.

Beachwear for a Rainy Day

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Summer sewing has gone really well this year! It just might be because the weather has not been optimal. Many rainy days, cloudy skies and predictions of storms have made it hard to really enjoy these warmer months. It definitely has made it tough to plan a beach day. So when the chance of rain dropped this past weekend, I took advantage of it. Even though it wasn’t perfect beach weather with overcast skies all day and temperatures in the 70s, it was still nice to sit and listen to the waves and dip in the ocean.

I just finished two beachwear projects so I decided to show them off. The first was a pair of pink pants, made with what I think is cotton gauze fabric. The crinkly texture made me immediately think of beach pants, and the flowy drape fit my vision perfectly. I used a different view of a pattern I had made before, Simplicity 2414. This time I went for the long pants with the casing and ties at the bottom. I really like the result, although I think next time I would make the holes a bit closer together in the casing at the bottom of the legs. I think I had trouble marking the spots correctly.

In staying with the pink theme, I also managed to sew up a Megan Nielsen Eucalypt dress in this turtle print rayon I already had. I was going through (and attempting to clean out) my fabric stash and found that I had a lot leftover from when I made my other bathing suit cover up. I figured this would be a perfect pattern to try out, especially since its such a fast sew. I used french seams, which was recommended by the pattern, and I liked how it included a pattern for the strips to make the bias tape for the neck and armhole facings. Even though I usually make my bias tape by a different method, this worked well since I didn’t need a lot for this dress. The fit isn’t perfect, so I think I would adjust the top the next time, maybe making a smaller size and then grading it at the bottom. It works well for a cover up though and I’m a really big fan of this turtle print. Being able to get rid of some of my fabric stash with a project that only took a few days was a real plus.

Rainy weekends can be very productive, as I also had a chance to cut out some other projects. I’m in the process of making a summer tank top – I’m trying it out on some Paris-themed cotton I found (yay more stash busting!) so I can size it for this other really cute semi-stretch fabric I also bought on a whim. This other fabric also seems to be French themed – maybe my subconscious is telling me I need a trip. Speaking of bias tape, I ended up making enough to bind my whole apartment I think. Well, it’s always a good thing to have on hand anyways. This will be for the Riley Tank by Seamwork. I’m hoping my one-way stretch fabric will work for this pattern even though it’s for woven fabric. I think it could be a top that I wear quite often – I may need to lengthen it for my next attempt, but I haven’t quite finished the first version to see.

My other method of making bias tape shown above – it involves cutting a section to make a parallelogram and marking up strips for the tape. Then it’s sewn into a tube and cut into one continuous strip. There are tutorials online for the specifics.

I also started work on a sleeveless button down shirt – another trial before I cut into the fabric I really want the shirt from. This may just be the summer of muslins. And I also started cutting out a summer dress, which I am excited to get started on. This will be a wearable muslin (I hope) as I’m trying to find something suitable to make with the only Liberty cotton fabric in my stash.

So a lot is going on right now and I’m getting things done! Hopefully the clouds will lift soon, but in the meantime I can sew for the summer I want, even if it’s not the summer I got.

How its going in 2023

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We are halfway through 2023 and I have not written about one project. I have been sewing…somewhat. But I think I’ve been giving the phrase “slow fashion” a whole new meaning as my projects seem to go on forever without conclusion. A few weekends ago, I was at Pattern Review weekend, an event put on the Patternreview.com, a sewing pattern sale/review website and online sewing community. We were in historic Lowell, Massachusetts, which is about 25 minutes from where I live now and about 20 minutes from where I grew up. While I was there, I casually mentioned that I hadn’t had much time for sewing this year and this woman criticized this when she found out I didn’t have kids. I guess my full time job and various childless activities didn’t seem like enough to her as to why my creative process had slowed down.

I’m not sure why this winter and spring has been such a dry spell for my sewing – I had definitely been buying enough fabric and planning out ideas for what I could make for the winter. My free time just seemed to slip away with other things – vacation planning, learning video editing…oh and I was training for the Boston Marathon.

Some of the non-sewing events in my life from this past spring. I got engaged, ran the Boston Marathon and went on a trip to Canada with my fiancé and my parents

Hanging out with other sewists at the event this month ended up being a great thing because it gave me a refresh on why I started sewing in the first place. I also wanted to get back to blogging and it’s hard when you don’t have a completed project with photos to write about. Maybe this year (what’s left of it anyways) I will focus on sewing more as the journey than as the destination. I can use it as a space for works in process, fashion inspiration and sewing problem solving. It will be an interesting experiment to see if it will help me write more. Maybe in turn it will get me to sew more. After looking at my disaster of a sewing corner, I desperately need to reduce my stash.

Maybe I can work on getting more blog followers too…I need to go back out and spread the blog love which is something I have not even bothered with for 5 years or so. I don’t want to get too ambitious as I still have other priorities that take up time.

As for right now, I just spent a few weekends finishing up some of my winter projects that I had cut out at the beginning of the season. It’s too hot to wear them now, so I will probably write about them later on. This past February, I was able to complete these great cigarette pants with some plaid ponte knit that I bought at Gorgeous Fabrics. This is a mostly online store, but every once in a while they have an open house where you can go and buy in person. The fabric reminded me of pants I had loved when I was in high school in the mid 1990s. The owner had even told me the perfect pattern that would go with this fabric: the RENÉE pants from Jalie patterns. She ended up being 100% right, because this was exactly what I wanted. It bunches a bit up behind my knees, so I think I need to figure out how to fit pant legs a bit better. But at least I didn’t make these too big like I usually do. They are very comfortable too – I got some great use out of them this winter and I’m sure when fall rolls around, I will be reaching for them again. Maybe by then I will need a new top to go with them.

I’m so glad I’ve got some new projects in my queue that I’m really excited about. It honestly just feels good to be enthusiastic about sewing, even if I end up not finding the time.

Take Two for 2022: One last skirt

On By qplourdeIn Sewing Projects, Take Two, UncategorizedLeave a comment

Patterns:

  • Juniper Skirt by Mood Fabrics
  • McCalls 6402

Okay, I know it’s already 2023, but I did happen to finish my last skirt just under the wire on December 31st, so I’m counting this as part of 2022.

This is the story of a fabric that I just couldn’t tame and multiple bad pattern choices. We start back earlier this year when I scored this rather unusual looking fabric with a designed I just loved. I knew I had to make a skirt out of it, but I just couldn’t quite figure out the style that would work for it. The fabric felt a bit stiff, until I washed it and realized it had more of a flowy quality than I first realized. To this day I have no idea what this fabric is – I bought it at a discount off a remnant table. I’m thinking it’s probably a type of polyester. I would never have predicted how hard it would be to sew with. Despite the fabric being somewhat thin, it was still difficult to get a needle through. I opted for a microtex needle in my machine, which worked well enough.

When I first saw the Juniper Skirt pattern from Mood Fabrics, I thought I had found the perfect match. I just needed to get some lining, but what do you use for lining when you have no idea what the main fabric even is? I decided on some black rayon twill that I could easily order online. I figured it was also synthetic material, so shrinking wouldn’t be an issue. All in all this seems to be the only correct choice I made as this did make a good lining which gave the skirt the right amount of structure. This was the first time using a free pattern from Mood Fabrics – they seem to make a lot of good ones and I had been curious to try one of them out. The directions on the website seemed easy enough to follow with detailed photos, however there were a few times I felt lost or that the directions were not complete. Where I think I went wrong is when I had to sandwich the overskirt between the front and back panels. I thought I had figured it all out, but somehow the skirt just didn’t line up right and to this day I’m not even sure why it’s off. I just know I’m unable to wear it as it is just crooked. It was one of my most disappointing moments in sewing history as I thought the style with the front flap seemed to fit with what I had pictured for this skirt. I was so baffled as to where it all went wrong, that I opted not to try again even though I had enough fabric for a second skirt. I was afraid it was the fault of the pattern and I would just end up wasting more fabric.

The overskirt section does not line up right when this skirt is on and I couldn’t figure out a way to fix it where it would fit properly.

The one thing I liked about this pattern was there was no hem – the lining was cut a little shorter than the actual skirt and then you sew the lining to the bottom of the skirt. When the lining is lifted towards the waistband, the main skirt gets folded over, which creates a clean finish with no hemming required. I liked this look so much I decided that whatever pattern I chose for my next attempt, would use this method instead of a traditional hem.

I didn’t want to give up on this skirt, so I was on the lookout for another pattern. One with maybe a similar style. I found the McCalls pattern in my stash and thought it had potential. I had wanted to make view E as I thought that front drape would look similar to what I had in mind for this fabric. However the more I looked into it, I could not figure out a way to line the skirt with that pattern. It would take skills I do not have in order to hack it to create the hemline I wanted. So then I looked at view A. This version was lined and so I could attempt my lining trick with the hem. And I figured that maybe the diagonal panel design might actually look cool with this geometric type design. For some reason I had some trouble understanding this pattern as well and the pieces didn’t really line up the way I think they should have. The results were…well the only good think I can say about the skirt is that it fits me. It tends to bunch up a bit when I move, so I’m not sure it will work as a wearable skirt. At least not one that I will want to wear often. I did end up getting the hem I wanted with this, however I do wonder if my changes to the pattern is another reason why this skirt doesn’t fall correctly. On a good note, it is one of the only skirts I’ve made where the waist is the right size and tapers in appropriately, so maybe I am getting better at something from this exercise.

In conclusion, my second skirt ended up being better, but I still didn’t get what I wanted out of this fabric. And I’m not sure if the problem lay with the fabric, which I admit was more difficult to work with than I first thought, or the patterns themselves. The confusion I had is probably on me – my lack of experience with sewing may be a main factor in why I couldn’t get these right. It doesn’t feel great to end this year on a failure (or at least a non-success), but I guess that’s life sometimes.

2022 is over, but I probably will still attempt some do-over projects in this coming year, since I love improving on stuff I’ve already made. I am still mulling over what my focus for this year will be and I think I have something so stay tuned! This past year has mostly been pretty triumphant with my sewing projects and I am looking forward to continued success into the next year. Happy New Year to my readers and hope to see you in 2023!

Christmas card perfect: My Porg-jamas

On By qplourdeIn Sewing Projects, Uncategorized2 Comments

Patterns:

  • Sewaholic Tofino Pants
  • Thread Theory Designs Eastwood Pants

I don’t shop at Jo-Ann Fabrics for actual fabric that often, but it can be a great resource for novelty prints. When the movie Star Wars: The Last Jedi came out, I found this great flannel fabric that featured one of the creatures from the film – the porgs. These little guys were a highlight for me, cute little bird-like aliens that made all kinds of adorable noises and expressions. I ended up buying many yards of the fabric shortly after. Even with this major purchase, I wished I had gotten more, because they really made some cute pajama pants.

I at least had enough fabric to make matching bottoms for me and my significant other. For my pair, I stuck with my tried and true pattern, the Sewaholic Tofino pants. This meant I would have to make piping, which is an extra step, but I feel like it’s worth it for the professional-looking finish. I ended up just using some twill tape for the drawstring and sometimes I feel like it’s a bit flimsy for the job. I may replace it with some cording or at least something thicker at some point. But it’s working okay at the moment.

For the male version, I tried out a new pattern – the Eastwood Pajamas from Thread Theory Designs. It has pockets, which my pants do not have, and a fly that buttons. I liked the way the pants came out. I will say this is now my go-to pattern for male pajama pants. The fly has an extra panel, so the buttons are hidden under a top flap, which gives them a more polished look.

Awww, it’s adorable with our matching pants. Even though they are slightly different styles, they look good together. I really did think this should be our Christmas card. I guess I will have to settle for it just being on this blog.

Happy Holidays everyone! I hope I can take a few days around this busy season to get more sewing projects done. I can’t believe how fast the year has flown by.